Casgliadau Arlein

Parasol with white and lilac silk canopy; shaft and handle made of single piece of turned wood with folding mechanism covered with sliding brass cylinder, carved bone ferrule at the tip, white silk fringe along edges and at the tip. The silk canopy is made of 8 panels of warp-printed silk. Pattern of purple foliage. Unbalanced tabby weave consisting of thin warps and thicker bundles of fibres used as wefts. There is an inner, secondary, canopy of cream silk which covers the stretchers and rib mechanism. The stretchers are connected to a brass cylinder runner; at this point, they are covered by maroon coloured leather to protect the silk inner canopy from catching on the movable metal parts. Part of brass closing mechanism (to fasten a tie-wrap) remains stitched to the outside of one of the silk panels. All stitching done by hand.